The New Grudge
by jkirsch
Summary: After the Ancient Grudge (S2), what if Jana and Maddy had found common ground? Just how much trouble can two she-wolves get into? When Emma and Dan force Rhydian to move out after the fight with Alric, they trigger an unexpected alliance between two feisty and clever she-wolves who won't take no for an answer.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 - Jana's Insight**

Maddy wasn't sure why she was even going. _What's the point? She's just as sad as me. No… sadder._ The young she-wolf didn't want to prove that awful cliché, 'Misery loves company.' She kept telling herself that's _not_ why she was going. Yet the more sensible part of her kept insisting that she was being melodramatic and should just turn back anyway.

 _What if Mam and Dad wake up and notice I'm gone?_ The sickle-shaped shard of the moon hung low in the night sky like a lop-sided smile, as if to say 'Don't worry.' The smell of the woods calmed Maddy's wolf as she ducked below a branch right before it smacked her in the face.

There it was. Finally. Jana's mobile home. In the daylight Jana's little dwelling looked pathetic, rundown. Here at night though, framed with the eerie glint of moonlight and embraced by all the shadows, it looked more like a secret hideout—like someplace that might even hold hidden treasure.

"Jana?" As Maddy neared, she could hear Jana's sobbing, it didn't take a wolfblood's hearing to puzzle that out. And why shouldn't Jana? She'd lost her dad today. She'd had to fight off her own dad and side with her best mates over him. She'd sided with Maddy to protect Rhydian, and for that Maddy was in so many ways grateful. _I was right about Jana. She's all right. She cares about Rhydian. Sometimes TOO MUCH_ her jealous wolf-self grumbled, but there it was.

"Jana?" the brunette rapped on the door again, but still no movement. Just more sobbing.

A less stubborn person might have left well enough alone, but Maddy Smith and stubborn went together like frosting and donuts. Maddy perched on her tiptoes to see through the window to confirm it was Jana, then to rap on the glass. She wobbled—her foot slipped on a loose rock.

"AAAHHH!"

With a yelp Maddy pitched sideways. It was too late when Maddy saw the patch of mud yawn to swallow her up. She landed smack-dab in the middle of it, and even though the soft mud cushioned her fall, it also covered the left side of her face, plus all down the left side of her shirt and trousers with a generous coating of muck. Maddy felt like mashed potatoes covered with her Mum's awful gravy.

The door to the mobile lurched open. Jana jumped out, shocked, concerned, mouth agape before she could cover it with a hand.

"Maddy?! Are you all right?" She helped Maddy up, temporarily amused as Maddy sputtered and coughed out a piece of dirt.

"Maddy, it's after midnight. What are ya doin' here? Never mind that, just come inside. I may not have much, but I do have towels…and a bucket of water. I was going to do laundry, but you look like you need the help more than my clothes do."

"Thanks." Luckily it was too dark for Jana to see the flaming-red blush on Maddy's face. The brunette let her friend help her up the front step. Inside, Jana was careful to hold Maddy's mud-splattered hair away from the rest of her face while Maddy wiped off. She then helped Maddy clean her hair before getting Maddy a change of clothes. A simple T-shirt two sizes too big and joggers was all she could scrounge up on such short notice.

"Where'd you get the shirt?" Maddy asked. The shirt had a wolf howling in a noble yet forbidding pose, with a blood-red moon looming in the background.

"Rhydian lent it to me," Jana shrugged. Immediately Maddy stiffened and had to fight down the stab of jealousy that tore right through her. Hearing his name just reminded her of what had happened. She'd returned home with Rhydian from the big battle with Alric only to find that her bloody parents had thrown all of Rhydian's stuff into boxes! They were forcing him to move back in with his foster parents. They _claimed_ that the foster parents had requested it, but Maddy was downright suspicious. She knew better.

Suddenly the pain in Maddy's heart ripped free. She hadn't meant to hurl it at Jana's feet, but suddenly her lips were moving:

"Rhydian doesn't deserve this. He doesn't!" Tears gathered in Maddy's eyes. The wolfblood girl's cute face crumpled. "I told him he was part of our pack. You and I, we defended him today. You were amazing, Jana. I'm so sorry about Alric. I can't…I can't begin to know what that feels like." Maddy tried to hold back more tears, but they came anyway, like a flood, streaking down her face. "I just wish…it seems like whenever Rhydian gets a break, just when things are starting to look better for him, something else has to go wrong. And now, after the whole mess with my parents kicking him out of our pack last term, here they are again, making him feel welcome just long enough for him to get his bearings, and then kicking him out. Shunning him all over again!"

Jana's face turned from sad to confused. "Wait, _what_?"

The pretty brunette collapsed onto the ratty-looking couch. Jana appeared at her side in an instant.

"Wait, you're saying your parents kicked Rhydian out, as in, _today_?"

Maddy nodded, sniffling a bit and hating herself as more tears leaked out. "Yes! They're making him move back in with the Vaughans." Maddy shook her head, her fists clenched as one more wave of guilt tore through her chest. "He just…he doesn't deserve that, Jana. He's been through so much. I know I shouldn't have come here tonight, to lay my burdens on you. You've lost your dad. What am I doing? Just whining 'cause my best mate can longer live in the same house with me anymore…it's not like I won't see him every day. But it's just…"

Maddy sighed, and that's when the incredible happened.

Maybe it was easier for Jana to avoid focusing on her own grief by refocusing on someone else's pain. Maybe that was why Jana did what she did; later Maddy would think back at what happened tonight and wonder…

The redhead reached out. Maddy stilled as Jana gently wiped away the tears on her right cheek. It was almost too intimate. There were still dried tears on Jana's face too, so the two wolfblood girls looked ridiculously well-matched.

"Hey. SSSHH, no more crying. I've been doing enough of that today for the both of us. A whole funeral's worth of crying," Jana said firmly. "So…now that you're here, I'll make you an offer. If you don't cry, I won't cry. Deal?"

Maddy managed a furtive glance to see if Jana was really serious.

"And one more thing," Jana said stoutly. "Don't…feel sorry for me. I didn't ask for that and I don't want it. I'm an alpha, just like you. I don't need or want your pity, especially from a _tame_." Maddy's eyes leapt to Jana's, but just as Maddy's wolf was about to snarl, she saw the teasing glint in Jana's green eyes. Jana's hands grasped onto Maddy's and pulled the brunette's much smaller hands into her lap.

"All right. Now start from the beginning. What happened when you got back with Rhydian? What did your parents say?"

"Jana, you don't have to…I think I came here because I thought, well, somewhere in my stupid brain I reasoned that you'd lost your dad and that I'd lost Rhydian, so we'd both lost someone." Maddy blinked back a few more threatening tears. "But that sounds ridiculous. I mean, I sound like a spoiled brat. Rhydian's not going anywhere. It's just…I won't get to wake up and have breakfast with him every day. I won't get to see him all cute and adorable in his sleep-shirt in the morning when he's stumbling downstairs half awake. I sound like a total idiot, don't I?"

Jana's keen emerald-green eyes narrowed. She gave a resolute shake of her head. "Not at all. You sound…" Jana stopped, her bottom lip trembling just barely as her eyes darted left and right, anywhere except to meet Maddy's questioning gaze.

"What?" Maddy now regretted coming. She'd been a selfish brat to come. _She_ should be the one comforting Jana now. She should be—

"You love him." Jana's beautiful face put up a brave front, as if she hated the taste of her own words.

Maddy's mouth fell open. "Jana…" Maddy didn't know what to say. She just felt her heart galloping in her chest. Her hands suddenly felt very warm in Jana's grasp.

"No…I mean you don't sound like a spoiled brat. Not to me. You know why?" Jana's powerful alpha's gaze held Maddy enthralled for a moment.

"You're not upset because you don't get to cuddle with him in bed or something stupid like that. I think, deep down, the real reason you're upset is because Rhydian finally felt like he had a _home_. The same thing I'm looking for too." Jana sighed. "You and your parents, you created one for Rhydian. This s _afe_ place for Rhydian, where he could feel like himself, where he might actually have a future." Jana smiled sadly. "There's a reason that when I asked Rhydian to come back to the wild with me, he turned me down. He turned me down because you've created a home for him, Maddy Smith. Stoneybridge is his home…all because of you."

Maddy suddenly felt too self-conscious. She forced herself to battle through it. She leaned in and clasped Jana in a firm hug.

"You're being too nice," Maddy mumbled. "I'm supposed to be the one comforting you. I'm horrible."

Jana hugged Maddy right back. She rubbed Maddy's back and shook her head as a few stray tears slipped down her cheek. The agony of losing her dad still throbbed. It hurt like a hole in her chest filled with acid. But oddly enough, Maddy's scent—the scent of her fellow packmate—it took the edge off the pain. Being able to comfort the fellow wolfblood erased some of that agony. Jana took a deep lungful of air and felt a spurt of hope she didn't dare fully acknowledge.

"I think the only right thing is to recognize what you really feel." Jana drew back, making sure Maddy was looking at her and listening to every word. "I made the mistake of denying what I felt, deep, deep inside. What I _knew_. I knew that my dad…that he wasn't himself anymore. That he might hurt Rhydian." Jana's brow furrowed in pain. "But I ignored it. I didn't trust my gut, my heart, I forced myself to believe what I thought I was supposed to believe. To trust Alric just because he was my dad."

Jana bit back a sob and forced herself to continue. "But the stupid thing was, Maddy, I was trusting in my father not because I really felt a bond with him any longer…but because I wished for something that wasn't even there. I pretended something still existed, when I'd already lost it."

Maddy's vivid brown eyes twisted with guilt and concern. She hugged Jana with a fresh and ferocious burst of warmth. She nuzzled Jana's hair, surprised at her own display of affection.

"It doesn't matter," she muttered. "We're your pack now, Jana. We'll never leave you. I'll never abandon you."

"I know you won't," Jana replied softly. She wiped at her tears. "But I don't want to talk about me right now, I want to talk about you—and face the 900-pound gorilla in the room. You. Love. Rhydian."

Maddy stood up abruptly and paced back and forth in the cramped cabin. "What are you trying to say? Fine, let's say I'll admit you're right. Even if that's the absolute truth, as far as he knows we're just friends, Jana. We're just—"

Jana's snort cut her off.

"The hell you are."

Now Maddy and Jana glared at each other as flecks of amber erupted from their irises like tiny sparks. Their wolves rose up, ready to rend, claw, clash, and bite. Two alphas prepared to leap at each other's throats.

 **A/N - Hey wolfblood fans. I'm officially and truly back from hiatus. I hope you enjoy this story because it was inspired after I watched 'Ancient Grudge' from season 2. This'll explore what would have happened if the story had taken a very different turn after the fallout from Alric's double-cross against Rhydian. I hope you enjoy! Please comment if you're feeling generous or just want to give me a bump of encouragement.**


	2. Chapter 2 - Jana's Push

**Chapter 2 - Jana's Push**

Both she-wolves took a deep breath and let their wolves subside. Jana stood up now too and took Maddy by the shoulders. "I've seen the way he looks at you." Jana grimaced, as if admitting all this, word by word, was like driving a knife underneath her fingernails. "The truth is he feels for you the same thing you feel for him."

"Has he told you so?" Maddy's voice was filled with amazement, shock. Too much hope.

Jana said the words and Maddy was too distracted by warring emotions to detect the redhead's lie.

"Yes. He's told me as much."

"Told you what exactly?" Maddy's breath hitched as Jana turned around and walked to the fridge, pulled out two cans of orange drink and handed one to Maddy.

"He told me that he loves you. His exact words."

Maddy took a cool sip. Suddenly her skin felt too hot. She felt hot all over. She put the ice-cold can to her forehead with a sigh of relief. Tried to think. Then she glared at Jana. "You can't be serious. Why would he confide in you something like that?"

Now it was Jana's turn to glare. She stalked over and pushed Maddy back on the couch—more playful than rough, but still…

"Why wouldn't he? Do you find it so hard to believe that he doesn't want to be completely vulnerable to you? That he would tell me the truth because he knows I don't have the power over him that you might?"

The shorter wolfblood girl frowned, trying to process it all. "He really said that he loves me?" Maddy took another gulp of her drink, set it aside. Her face suddenly clouded with total suspicion.

"I thought you…uh, nevermind."

Jana folded her arms across her chest. "Go ahead and say it." There was a surging flicker of yellow in the redhead's eyes.

"No." Maddy's face burned with shame, and then something extraordinary happened.

"You thought I fancied him? Well, I do. I _did_." Jana corrected, her expression softening.

"Everything that's happened…with my father's grudge against Rhydian these past days…it's taught me something." Jana rubbed a hand over her eyes, and suddenly she looked bone-weary. "The signs were there before, that Rhydian cared about you and you cared about him. I'm not that clueless. In fact, as a wild wolfblood I'm the _least_ clueless when it comes to picking up on stuff like that. The thing is…I should have _known_ my dad's true intentions—and I didn't."

Jana sat beside Maddy and took a swig of orange drink. "Rhydian needs to be with someone who has a loving family, someone who can give him a place where he feels safe, who can love him and bring him out of the brittle shell he's had to make for himself." Jana sighed, looking through the scratched-up window towards the sliver of the moon. "You deserve him. You have a family that can show him what life's _supposed_ to be like. I don't even have my own life together. My mum's dead and my dad's lost the respect of his pack. I may end up just like him, just a lone wolf."

Maddy frowned. Suddenly the petite brunette was leaning towards Jana, cupping the redhead's face and forcing her to really look at her.

"How many times do I have to tell ya? You're not alone. You're my pack. End of story. You have a family, Jana. Not all families are bound just by blood."

Jana's eyes glistened. She tried to blink back the tears. She bit her lip, and the girl's emerald-green eyes just glistened more intensely. It was so hard. She wanted to believe Maddy, but it was almost too hard after what Alric had done. Maddy could see it written all over her face.

" _Please_ , Jana." Maddy almost stroked Jana's vibrant scarlet hair. Another bout of self-consciousness made Maddy pull her hand away instead, but not before she entwined the fingers of her other hand with Jana's. The two wolfbloods sat side by side, companionable silence draped over them like a shared blanket, each trying to filter their own thoughts.

Outside, one owl's hoot echoed through the trees.

"So…what are you going to do?" Jana's suddenly mischief-filled gaze put Maddy on the spot. She stood up and tugged Maddy towards the door.

"Um, what do you mean?"

"Are you going to go and tell Rhydian how you really feel? Now that you recognize the truth?"

Now it was Maddy's turn to gape. Her cute face wreathed in astonishment made Jana almost want to laugh.

"You mean right _now_? It's got to be four or five hours until dawn. Are you crazy? I'll be lucky if Mam doesn't catch me sneaking back into the house." Maddy's goody two-shoes streak reared its pristine head, but Jana wasn't ready to give up so easily.

"So you're saying, after all you've done to protect Rhydian…that you won't even tell him how you really feel?" Jana snorted. "He told me, you know. He told me what you said when he first came back from the wild. The first time you stood up to my dad."

Maddy threw the redhead a careful look. "And…what's that?"

"You said you would tell the whole world about wolfbloods, reveal the precious secret, if it meant keeping Rhydian safe. I'm paraphrasing, fair enough, but don't try to deny it!" Jana's triumphant expression told Maddy she had already lost not just the battle but the war.

The sudden realization slammed into Maddy like a gust of wind. She took a deep breath. _Can I actually do this? Mum and Dad kicked him out of the house…why, because they thought Rhydian and I were getting too close? Could that really be? And if it is, how will they react if I tell Rhydian how I truly feel, and he feels the exact same way about me, and if we…"_ The wolfblood girl wasn't ready to say those tantalizing words, 'boyfriend' or 'girlfriend,' but the tiny flutters in her chest definitely pointed in a certain direction.

She followed Jana's lead and stepped outside. The branches swayed in the breeze. The wind ruffled both girls' hair. Meanwhile the night's shadows seemed to wrap lovingly around the two wolfbloods as the wild beckoned.

Maddy turned to Jana. "You think I should sneak into the Vaughans' house? Tonight? And tell Rhydian how I really feel?"

Jana kept a carefully neutral face. "It doesn't matter what I want. What do _you_ want? And I'm not talking about that second-guessing, instinct-dumb thing you tames call rational human thinking. Think with your _wolf_ for a change." Jana's gentle teasing hung in the air and then Maddy found herself slowly, surprisingly nodding.

 _This is crazy. No…this is beyond crazy. But what if Jana's right? Mam and Dad think they can drive Rhydian away, but they need to understand how much Rhydian matters to me. They need to understand how much this is hurting him, taking away the only home he's ever really started to feel was actually HIS. The only place he's ever felt safe._

Maddy's hazel eyes hardened with resolve.

"I know what I need to do." She turned around and prepared to morph fluidly into her wolf, but she stopped herself at the last second. She turned back.

"You're sure you don't want someone to stay with you tonight?"

Jana made a shooing gesture, her face darkening. "What did I say, tame girl? I don't want your pity. Go."

Maddy landed on four paws instead of two feet, and suddenly she was a blur of fur with a snout, barreling through the woods of Stoneybridge—heading for trouble. In the distance, two sets of gleaming, yellowish eyes watched with interest.

 **A/N - Hey wolfblood peeps. I'll try to keep the chapters coming. Thanks again for comments, ideas, or suggestions. My goal is to continue to give you some unique twists or storylines to answer more of those fun 'what if' questions from Wolfblood. How much trouble can Jana and Maddy get into? As you'll see soon, the answer is 'A lot more than you might think' … But they're formidable when they put their heads together too ;)**


	3. Chapter 3 - Baring the Heart

**Chapter 3 - Baring the Heart**

Maddy's wolf cut through the woods of Stoneybridge like a burning knife. Burning because…well, Maddy felt this heat throbbing inside her. It had begun when she'd been in human form at Jana's, when Jana had forced her to face the truth. Once in wolf form, she thought she could control it—those butterflies swarming in her stomach—but she was dead wrong. _I…love…Rhydian_. How could three simple words destroy her whole world? Or if not destroy it exactly, at least flip her entire existence on its axis.

By the time she arrived at the Vaughans' house Maddy had reverted back to human. Meanwhile the clouds had swallowed up the moon and the nearest street light was still out. Even without any trees nearby the house crouched in the dark like a hibernating bear. And that's when Maddy realized she had a problem.

 _I didn't really think this through, did I?_

If this were some TV show, Maddy would have thrown pebbles or sticks at the window until Rhydian came to check on the noise, and then he would have let her right in with no one else being the wiser. Except this was real life. _If I start throwing things at Rhydian's window, chances are I'll wake up Ollie or Joe_. It wasn't just the other foster kids she had to worry about either; Mrs. Vaughan was a notoriously light sleeper. She remembered Rhydian vaguely complaining along those lines. Not to mention—could she even assume that they'd put Rhydian back in the same bedroom?

All signs pointed to this unplanned tryst ending in total disaster…

Maddy fidgeted with the end of Jana's borrowed T-shirt while she figured out what to do. A smile slowly crept across her face. Maddy remembered.

She snuck out back, to the third stone on the left along the path through Mrs. Vaughan's rose garden. She looked under the stone. There it was, the spare key Rhydian had mentioned just the one time. _Jackpot!_ But that was the easy part. Next Maddy crept around front, slipped the key in the front door. She turned it ever so slowly and let herself in.

The whole place was lightless, soundless. Everyone was asleep. That was all fine and wonderful, except Maddy remembered the Vaughans' wooden floor between the entryway and the stairs. The floorboards creaked like a decrepit old ship in a storm, only louder. She got down on her hands and knees and army-crawled her way across the floor inch by inch, distributing her weight widely enough to dampen the effect. She didn't realize she'd been holding her breath until she dragged herself up onto the carpeted stairs. Now she crept up the steps like a spy on a mission until she reached the bedroom door that used to be Rhydian's. Posted across the top was a charcoal sketch of a majestic waterfall with wolves in the foreground. Maddy twisted the knob and rushed inside—only to almost cry out as an elbow slammed hard into her right eye.

The wolfblood girl went sprawling. Maddy was lucky her head hit the side of the mattress instead of the bedframe. She was practically seeing stars all the same. She heard a muffled curse.

"Maddy are you all right!? Bloody hell..." Rhydian's voice trailed off with enough swears to make the average person blush.

"I thought you were a burglar!" he hissed as he knelt beside her, cradling her head against his chest as she moaned ever so softly in pain. Her eye felt like someone had poked it with a spear. It was watering like crazy and the throbbing behind her eye socket definitely didn't feel anything like the butterflies in her stomach a few minutes earlier. She whimpered as Rhydian stroked her hair.

"I'm so sorry, Mads. Are you okay!? Can I get you an ice pack? I can go downstairs, be back in two seconds, but I won't leave for even a moment, not unless you're okay. I won't…Mads?"

In her stunned state, Maddy's brain was all over the place. Before she could process what she was saying, the words were already flying out.

"Rhydian I love you."

 _Oh God. I did not just say that._ Maddy could hardly breathe, hardly even move. Rhydian had gathered her onto his lap and was still stroking her hair. He had been about to ask for her to tip her head back so he could get a good look at her injured eye. Instead he froze too, every bit as statuesque as the girl in his arms.

"Mads?" There was confusion in his voice. Disbelief. Something else too…a certain warmth that made Maddy think just maybe Jana _hadn't_ been lying through her teeth after all.

"Maddy, you obviously took a hard knock to the head. Let's get you up and I'll, uh, I'll get you an ice pack." Rhydian tried to move her, clearly feeling awkward in the moment and trying to absorb Maddy's bombshell. But suddenly the alpha wolf in Maddy shook itself off and shoved into the fray. She sat up in Rhydian's grasp, her right eye blinking rapidly and painfully. She almost wanted to giggle at the absurdity, the whole damned situation. She still felt too embarrassed for words, but that was what her wolf was for—taking over to deal with the tough situations when her human couldn't cope anymore.

"Rhydian," she said, looking at him seriously, forcing her blurry right eye to focus until she could actually see him, "I…I mean it. I…" Tears filled her eyes. "It took my parents kicking you out of our house and Jana telling me what I already knew, before…before I could really see it. Before I could admit it. Rhydian, I have to tell you the truth. I've…fallen in love with you." She smiled, wincing as Rhydian touched her injured eye.

"SSSHHH. Don't talk now, let me get a closer look at this and make sure I didn't hurt you any worse than I think I did."

"Aren't you going to say something?!" Maddy burst out angrily. Really…were all boys this dense? She'd just left herself completely vulnerable to him, bared her heart to him…and THIS was how he was responding? She was about to launch into an angry rant when suddenly Rhydian's lips were on hers. Soft, pliant, hesitant at first, he pressed his lips to hers. She felt the warmth of his breath and the warmth of his hand cupping her cheek felt almost as good.

"Maddy," he breathed.

"Mmmhmm?" she sighed.

"I love you too, but I need you to keep quiet for _two seconds_ while I make sure you don't need to be taken to hospital. You will sit still and let me look at you or I swear I'll go get Mrs. Vaughan even if it means both of us in the doghouse. Got it?"

Maddy's heart felt so full it might burst. She smiled as tears formed in her eyes, the best kind of tears. Happy tears. Yet she still couldn't resist…

"Bossy much?"

Rhydian ignored the alpha's comment as he checked her over. There was a heavy sigh as the air rushed out of his lungs. "That eye's going to turn a not-so-flattering color, Mads." He sighed again, even more dejected than the last one. Maddy hated hearing that sound. In fact, it was one of her least favorite sounds in the whole world. She reached around and hugged him tightly, snuggling against him.

"Rhydian…can we move on to more important topics?"

"Not until you tell me why you showed up in my bedroom in the middle of the night."

Maddy rolled her eyes. "Isn't it obvious? Why do you think, you big idiot?"

Rhydian grinned. Now he was just toying with her. "I can't believe you came to tell me _now_ , of all times, Mads. You couldn't have waited until tomorrow to tell me this? You had to play 'the wolfblood-burglar of Stoneybridge' and risk everything, forfeiting your sleep I might add, to tell me this. You waited this long to admit it, but you couldn't wait just a few hours longer?"

"Well, when you say it like that it sounds stupid," Maddy admitted.

"Nothing about you is stupid, Maddy Smith." He lifted her into his arms and laid her gently on his bed. Then he slid onto the bed beside her. The two wolfbloods laid side by side, looking into each other's eyes. Rhydian's blue eyes took on a storm-gray tint in the dim light.

"I think I've known for a while now," he whispered.

"That I was in love with you?" Maddy said, frowning in a way that made her look adorable.

"No, silly girl." Rhydian propped himself up on one elbow and looked down on the wolfblood girl who had stolen not just _his_ heart but his wolf's heart as well. "I've known for a while now that what I felt for you…wasn't normal. Wasn't ordinary. I think I first started to notice it the day Mum tried to take me back to the wild, when I kept thinking to myself, 'There's too much here in Stoneybridge that I care about. I don't want to go.' But I refused to really examine what that feeling meant to me, what that thing anchoring me to Stoneybridge really was."

Now Rhydian leaned over, caressing Maddy's hair. It was hard to think properly when he did things like that. She almost asked him to stop. _Almost._

"There, I've said it. You don't have to feel like you're the only one who bared your heart tonight," Rhydian said.

Maddy felt her heart jolt before it did a little pirouette of joy. There were a few stray tears of that same joy in her eyes just now. Her lashes glistened as she blinked the remnants away.

"Rhydian…I'm so sorry about my parents kicking you out." She nearly sobbed, not because she was really that sad…but the poignancy of the moment was making her get carried away, and to be honest getting elbowed in the eyeball did strange things to a person's emotional equilibrium. Her wolf, her human, they were all out of whack now and Rhydian could sense it.

"I have an idea," Rhydian whispered, his hands continuing to slide like silk through the strands of Maddy's hair, calming her, making her want to purr like a kitten… "Why don't you stay here while I get you that ice pack? Then, once you're feeling better, I'll walk you home."

"I don't want to go. I'm comfy right here," Maddy protested.

Rhydian's hand left its post, caressing her hair until it slid down to her cheek. He gingerly caressed her bottom lip with his thumb before leaning over to give her a gentle kiss, as if afraid after the infamous elbowing incident that anything more passionate might break her.

"I know you're comfy here, Maddy, but I don't want my girlfriend's parents discovering that she's snuck out in the middle of the night and then grounding her for it. It might make it hard to go out, ya know?"

Suddenly Maddy completely forgot about the dull ache behind her eye. "Did you just call me your girlfriend?"

Rhydian smirked. "If I did, will you just do as I say and let me take you home?"

Maddy shook her head up and down. "Just this once."

Rhydian rolled his eyes. "That's what I was afraid of."

Rhydian turned to go downstairs to get that ice pack when Maddy's whisper stopped him.

"Wait. One more thing."

"What?"

"I think I know a way to get my parents to let you come back and live with us."

"Maddy," Rhydian protested. "What's done is—"

"Leave it to me…and Jana."

Rhydian and Maddy stared at each other in a deadly faceoff. "I don't want your parents hating me, Mads. Me being your boyfriend is going to be dicey enough. I'm not fighting their decision to have me live with the Vaughans. If there's one thing I've learned, Mads, it's that you can't fight every battle," he hissed.

"Who said anything about YOU fighting anything? Just leave it to me and Jana," Maddy said stubbornly. The alpha in her dared Rhydian to try to talk her out of it. With a sigh and a prayer Rhydian just turned and slipped into the shadows of the hallway.

 **A/N - Hey wolfblood friends. So I have to admit, it's so much fun to return to the WB universe and a big part of it is getting inspired by some of the reader comments and writers on this site who have posted WB stories lately. This is me offering a huge thank you to people who have posted new comments, new stories and new chapters. Speaking of chapters, I'll make sure to keep them coming :) Comment if you'd like, and brighten up my day.**


	4. Chapter 4 - Jana's Plan

**Chapter 4 - Jana's Plan**

"Maddy, I think there's a less drastic way of going about this," Jana groaned. "Will ya just listen?"

The two wolfbloods were walking home from Bradlington High. Maddy wore a light brown jacket over her maroon tank top and Jana was still in her school uniform. It was one of those early fall days where leaves flew in little cyclones whenever the wind picked up—the type of day that could make you shiver even with the sun shining so brightly.

"It's what they get for lying to us," Maddy muttered darkly, "sending Rhydian away and acting all innocent about it. Besides, this sort of worked with the eolas thing. You remember me telling ya about that. Mam realized she'd made a mistake by suffocating me. Dad was even at her throat about it at one point. A few days of me ditching school with your help, and my parents will have to realize I'm _serious_ about Rhydian coming back to live with us. Plus, as a bonus they'll have to reconsider next time they want to be less than honest with us."

Jana tried not to roll her eyes. She'd helped Maddy acknowledge her feelings for Rhydian, but now those same feelings were getting in the way!

The redhead stopped and took Maddy by the hand. She pulled her over to a nearby park bench. "Sit and just listen. Please?"

With a huffy face, Maddy sat.

"I know you want to go at your parents head-on because of how strongly you care about Rhydian, but maybe there are better ways to handle this."

"Like what?"

"You're a clever alpha, just like me. Take what you did this morning as the perfect example. That's the type of tactic we should be using," Jana said as she folded her arms and gave Maddy a look.

"What're you on about?" Maddy grumbled.

"What you told me this morning, about everything you did last night, telling Rhydian the truth, that was brilliant—but what you did this morning was _equally_ brilliant."

Maddy shrugged. "My sleep-deprived brain still doesn't see your point, Jana."

Jana looked to the sky as if heavenly intervention could save her sanity. Then she stared at her friend.

"Think about it. This morning you were worried about your parents seeing your black eye, so what did you do? Did you try to face them head-on? No. You snuck out to school early, left a note with a written excuse about some school project. THEN, you faked being sick during chem lab so that you could rest in the nurse's office, and _then_ you snuck off to the dark room so that your wolf could recharge. You changed into your wolf just long enough to heal up your eye, and now when you come home today your parents won't suspect a thing. Now what does that tell you, Maddy? Because what it tells me is that when you put your clever mind to it, your parents don't stand a chance."

The pretty brunette finally saw her friend's point as she started nodding. "Okay… so what do you suggest?" Maddy's wolf was too restless to sit still, and she'd already leapt back to her feet and continued walking as Jana kept up.

Jana knew this was going to be hard for Maddy. Even though both Jana and Maddy had equally strong alpha natures, Stoneybridge was Maddy's home turf and therefore Maddy was officially head of their pack. But _this_ was for Maddy's own good…

"Maddy, I need you to trust me on this. I have a plan and I know it's going to work."

"Right…I'm all ears," Maddy said impatiently. "So what's the plan?"

"That's the thing. It will work better, the less you know. Plausible deniability and all that."

"Plausible deniability!" Maddy exclaimed. "This is too important, Jana. I said I wanted your help to figure out a way for Rhydian to come back and live with us." Maddy's eyes heated with a hint of wolfy-yellow as she turned to Jana with a growl, but Jana stood her ground. " _Tell_ _me_ the plan."

"Maddy, you'll just have to trust me. Was I wrong about Rhydian's feelings for ya? _Was_ I?" That took the wind out of Maddy's sails. Her she-wolf cooled off and she looked away with a slight blush. Jana put her arm around Maddy for a side-hug and nuzzled the side of the girl's face like a wolf might do.

"I know I'm still the newbie in your pack, but I'm a born leader just like you, Maddy. I know how to make your parents see the light, but I can't do that if they suspect we're in this together. I need them to think everything's coming from me. Just me. The more we can keep you and Rhydian out of this directly, I promise you, the better the chance we have of everything working out. OK?"

Maddy gave Jana a long, doubtful look.

"Fine. We'll do it your way."

" _That's_ my alpha." Jana gave Maddy a ferocious hug as Maddy found it hard to breathe yet returned the hug all the same. Jana even kissed Maddy on the forehead, letting her wild wolfblood affectionate nature get the best of her.

Right then a ball hit Jana in the back of the head with a loud _SMACK_.

"Hey you two, get a room!" Jimi's annoying voice carried with an undertow of laughter from Sam and Liam as the boys rushed by in their football uniforms and cleats, passing the ball back and forth. They were oblivious to Jana's growl…or the blackening of the veins along her neck as she nearly leapt to rip Jimi's face off. Maddy had already jumped into the gap though. She was pushing Jana up against a tree and wrapping her arms around her.

"Deep breaths, Jana. You're all right. Get it under control. It's okay. Jimi's just a complete ass, he's not worth it." Jana finally shook it off, but a stab of pain hit her in the chest.

"I don't belong anywhere, do I?" she muttered.

"That's not true," Maddy said stubbornly. She took Jana by the hand. "You belong right here and one day, you know what? You're going to make a great alpha of your own pack. Come on, let me walk you home."

Jana shook her head. "Now you're just saying things to make me feel better." She wiped at an irritating, traitorous tear before it could streak down her face.

"Keep talking like that and I'll force you to let me buy you ice cream at Bernie's," Maddy threatened. Maddy started making silly faces at Jana, sticking her tongue out and wiggling her nose. Jana's face finally broke into an unwanted smile.

"Stop it, people are going to start staring!" Jana hissed.

Maddy gently elbowed Jana. "Let them. I'm trying to cheer up my friend. That takes priority over me being embarrassed or even humiliated. _Now_ …how about that ice cream?"

Jana considered. She had hoped to put her plan into action today and confront Maddy's parents. But she did feel a little shaken after taking Jimi's ball to the head. A little ice cream to fortify her spirits was _exactly_ what she needed. Plus the wild wolf in Jana found ice cream only slightly less intoxicating than the wonders of flushing toilets.

"All right, you've talked me into it."

"Now you're speaking sensibly," Maddy said, and suddenly Jana found herself being tugged towards Stoneybridge's main square.

"So…are you still planning to 'study' with Rhydian over at the Vaughans'?" Jana ventured.

Maddy nodded, ignoring the sarcastic way Jana had said 'study.' "Why?"

"Just…stay over there until I call you. After we go to Bernie's, I'm going to drop by and see your parents."

Maddy's eyes widened. "I take it this means you're putting your plan into effect already?"

Jana's grin was brimming with mischief. "Strike while the iron is pot," Jana said.

"You mean 'hot'?" Maddy corrected.

 _Oops_. The wild wolfblood girl groaned. "Human sayings are so confusing. I'm just going to shut up now. Feed me some ice cream." Despite Maddy laughing, Jana suddenly felt a prickle of unease—as if being watched. She glanced over her shoulder and could almost swear that she saw two sets of intent, beastly eyes staring at her from behind a hedge. Then the moment vanished, but she couldn't help from feeling that shiver snake all the way down her spine.

 **A/N - Hey wolfblood friends -**

 **One of the things we never got to really see in the show was Maddy and Jana developing a truly close friendship. As some readers have pointed out spot-on, the show had to spend a lot of time on the tension of them fighting over Rhydian, so partly as a result series 2 never got around to showing what a deeper friendship might have looked like. I think if Aimee Kelly had been in series 3 they would have gotten around to showing that aspect between Jana and Maddy.**

 **So, this story is my way of exploring how Jana and Maddy could have become closer friends earlier in the show, and how they could play off of each other's strengths, weaknesses, and insecurities to deal with some interesting challenges.**

 **Thanks again for reading, commenting, and just being your awesome selves! I'll have another chapter out soon.**


	5. Chapter 5 - Jana Versus the Smiths

**Chapter 5 - Jana Versus Mr. and Mrs. Smith**

The sound of the power drill grated on Jana's ears as she approached the Smiths' house to put her plan into action. The sun had smoldered to a darkened orange tint that hit the side of Dan's work shed and nearly blinded Jana as she came up the rise. She stopped and stood indecisively. Should she go inside and brave Emma, or try to catch Dan alone and soften him up? The fact that the doors to Dan's shed were wide-open decided it.

"Excuse me. Mr. Smith?"

She had to shout to be heard above the drill. Dan stopped what he was doing. His head swung around in confusion.

Jana tried for a smile. She tried to pretend the nerves in her gut was just the ice cream she'd eaten at Bernie's with Maddy. Daniel Smith stood up, a tall, bearded, kindly-looking man. Jana had nothing against him. She found it almost endearing the way, even out here in the workshop, Mr. Smith insisted on wearing his impeccably tailored sweater with a collared shirt underneath—not exactly your typical craftsman's wear.

"Jana, can I help you?"

Jana gathered up her courage. _You most certainly can, and you can start by thinking about what's best for this pack and ALL wolfbloods instead of playing the overprotective papa wolf._ Instead, what she actually said was: "I hope so, Sir."

"Please, Jana, just call me Dan. We're not exactly in a formal setting here." Dan pulled out his long work bench and took a seat. "If you're looking for Maddy, she hasn't returned home from school yet. She called earlier, said she'd be running late. She's helping Rhydian get settled in at the Vaughans' and she mentioned working on some homework, the two of them, so you might be in for a wait. But if you'd like, I can let Maddy know you stopped by."

Jana let Dan prattle on while she devised what she had to say to make this hopefully _work_. She felt like a lawyer about to go to trial, wishing she could have read over those case files one more time…feeling under-prepared and overwhelmed.

The redhead's grip went to the tie of her school uniform. She twisted it nervously in her hands and then, like a desperate animal, her alpha nature tore free. It had an oddly soothing effect, the instant her wolf took charge. She took a deep breath to plunge right in.

"It's actually about Maddy I came to talk to you about."

"Is that so?" Jana nearly jumped out of her skin as Emma appeared in the nearby doorway leaning against the doorjamb. Emma's expectant stare wasn't unfriendly, but it wasn't _friendly_ either. The wolfblood girl hadn't forgotten the cold welcome she'd received from the Smiths when she'd come to Stoneybridge; she _certainly_ hadn't forgotten that without Maddy vouching for her, the Smiths would never have let her stay in their territory.

 _In a way, I owe a debt to Maddy for what she did back then, standing up for me. Now's my chance to repay it._

"I'm glad you're both here," Jana said stoutly. "Because I have something serious to talk with both of you about."

Dan put away his tools, brushed away the sawdust from the counter before taking off his gloves. "Shall we go inside, then?"

Emma nodded sternly. "It's best we do. A cup of tea, Jana?" Despite the polite pleasantry Emma offered, there was no mistaking the dangerous undertone in the mama wolfblood's voice…or the warning in her eyes.

"That would be welcome, thanks." Within minutes Jana was sitting at the Smiths' kitchen table, a steaming mug of Darjeeling tea in hand. Dan and Emma sat across from her, expectant.

"So…what's so serious that you had to speak with us, in private, about our daughter?" Emma said, her eyebrows arched.

"First, I want to put everything out in the open. Maddy doesn't know I'm here. If she did, she'd be horrified." She paused, seeing if she'd made the lie convincing enough. From the looks of it, she had.

"Maddy came to my house all upset and out of sorts last night, saying you'd booted Rhydian out of the house. I've been going through my own issues lately, but I had to hear her out. Anyway, she told me that she was sure that the decision to make Rhydian leave was yours, and not foster care's. She told me that it made her realize her true feelings for Rhydian." Jana paused, noting with satisfaction how both Emma and Dan stiffened. "And, today…at school, I saw them together. Holding hands. I saw them kiss. They're a real couple now, that's what Maddy says. After she told Rhydian how she felt about him, I guess he felt the same way."

Jana took a fortifying sip of her tea and placed it back on the saucer. "Look, I don't want to get in the middle of anything—"

"Then don't," Emma interrupted. Dan gave her a warning glance and put his hand on Emma's with a silent plea. _Calm down, love_.

"It's just—seeing the way Maddy is with Rhydian," Jana sighed, "I know she genuinely cares about him, and the feeling is something fierce. Kicking Rhydian out of the house, if that was your decision…I'm sure you had good reasons. You're just looking out for Maddy. But I wanted to warn you."

"Warn us?" Emma's tone had returned to that dangerous alpha female mode that Dan knew all too well. He placed his _other_ hand on Emma's for good measure.

Jana stood up with a groan. "Not 'warn' as in a threat. I'm just trying to help here. If your goal in having Rhydian leave your home to go live with the Vaughans was based on him getting too close to Maddy, then what you've done has only encouraged the opposite. In fact, it's worse than that. From Maddy's perspective, you're hurting Rhydian. Normally whenever she talks about you two, I can see how much she loves you. You're like…I don't know, the proper family every wolfblood who ever lived would dream of, at least if they could."

Jana rushed on, pacing while trying to hold Dan and Emma's stares. "And here's the thing…she's hurt for Rhydian's sake, she's angry toward you two, angry like I've never seen her before. I know it's probably not my place to say so, but I think the more you try to distance her from Rhydian or make them being together forbidden, the more she's going to just dig her heels in. What's worse though, is that I don't think she trusts you anymore. Think of it from her standpoint. You're hurting a member of her pack, the one she thinks is most _vulnerable_ , the one who's never had a proper family to love him."

"I think you're right, it's not your place to talk about these things," Emma growled. "You seem to know a lot about Maddy's mind, from what I'm hearing. Did she tell you all this? Hmm?"

"You're missing the point," Jana said carefully, trying to take back control. "The point is—the more you try to keep those two apart, the more Maddy is going to sympathize with Rhydian being all alone in the world. Is that you want? Because if it is, then I think you'll have a grudge on your hands. I think Maddy will resent you for it. No, in fact I _know_ she will."

"And what makes you so sure?" Dan said skeptically. "I think Emma's right, maybe you should just leave us to work through this with Maddy on our own. This is a private family matter."

Jana did the one thing she never expected she'd ever do. She was angry—furious. Suddenly she took the mug of tea and threw it with all the force she could muster against the wall. It shattered in a hundred pieces.

"There's nothing private about it! Do you want your daughter running away from home? Would that be private enough for you?"

Emma and Dan just stared at the redhead, dumbfounded. "Yeah, I hadn't gotten to that part yet, but now's as good a time as any! After she came to my place last night, Maddy talked about running away and _staying_ away until you two start treating Rhydian like a real member of the pack. I could tell from what she said that she _hadn't_ consulted Rhydian about her plan, but she did mention something else…something about eolas and how there was a time when you were suffocating her, and how she'd had to run back then. She felt that this was ten times as important, and to be honest, I saw her after school today and _I_ talked her out of doing it."

Dan and Emma exchanged panicked looks before Jana finished. "Now I came here this afternoon with the best of intentions. You may hate me because I'm a 'wild wolfblood' in your territory, but I'm Maddy's friend too, and I want what's best for her, for the pack. Her having a grudge against her parents and running away _definitely_ doesn't fall under that category."

Jana's fists clenched. She tried to slow her breathing. Emma looked at her sternly, but her voice gentled.

"I'm sorry I was abrupt with you earlier, pet. We don't hate ya. You're a wolfblood just like us, and that's what matters. I thank you for telling us what you did, Jana. We do appreciate your honesty and your concern. _We're_ Maddy's parents though. You need to let us take it from here."

Dan nodded. "Emma's right, Jana."

Jana sat down and slumped in the chair at the kitchen table, and threw the wolfblood parents a bleak look. "I hope you're right, but there's just one more thing I need to say." Jana fixed Emma and Dan with a sobering stare. "With Rhydian under your roof, you could keep an eye on him. I know it's not easy…I mean this is Rhydian we're talking about, and trouble seems to be one of his besties," Jana said, trying to ease the tension. "But it's the best option you've got. And I think if you examine your own reasons for making Rhydian leave, assuming you _did_ make the choice to kick Rhydian out, you'll realize that your reasons _probably_ aren't the good ones you thought they were."

"Just what do you mean by that?" Emma said sternly.

"Well, I know you want to protect Maddy, but have you thought about unintended consequences? I mean, think about it, Rhydian living with _humans_ when he could be living with _wolfbloods_. Now, because of you and Dan, Rhydian will have to make up some excuse every full moon to keep his foster parents from wondering where he goes…or worse, he'll have to sneak out."

"We can help Rhydian by inviting him to stay at our house on evenings during full moons," Dan countered.

"And do you know for sure that the Vaughans will let him sleep over at Maddy's every full moon? Is that something you're prepared to bank the secret of all wolfbloods on?" Jana challenged. Emma and Dan for the first time looked away with a hint of guilt and embarrassment across their faces. "It's not just as simple as 'Are things with Maddy and Rhydian moving too fast?'. There's bigger issues at stake, see?" Jana wiped at her face. "If you're worried about Maddy and Rhydian being together too much, it's your job to set the ground rules. Let Rhydian stay under the same roof as Maddy, but make them respect that it's your house, your rules. _That's_ the answer to this whole big mess. Now, Rhydian may be a pain and I know being parents can't be easy—but foisting a wolfblood boy onto human foster parents isn't the answer, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and I think deep down you both know it. He's a wolfblood and he needs to be looked after by his pack. You, Emma, Dan, and yes, Maddy, are his pack…and he needs YOU. Not a pair of human foster parents who don't know who and what he really is. _Please_ , I'm begging you, think about that before you make a final decision."

Jana felt exhausted. The flood of endorphins had finally started to peter out. The red-haired girl had the presence of mind to now feel awful for breaking the Smiths' mug. She bent down and began to pick up the pieces.

"No, pet, please don't. Those broken bits can be sharp," Emma protested. "I'll sweep it up, no harm done. Now…I think it's best you go." Emma took Jana by the hands and looked with genuine understanding into the girl's eyes. "We will carefully consider everything you've told us, Jana. All right? Now off you go."

Jana nodded as Dan and Emma saw her out. As she walked down the lane in front of the Smiths' house, she wondered, _Did I change their minds?_ She glanced back, and already Dan and Emma were in heated discussion. Like a ray of light between the cracks of a cave ceiling, Jana dared to see a way through to the other side.

 _I did my best, Maddy. Let's hope it's enough._

 **ELSEWHERE IN STONEYBRIDGE…**

Maddy could still feel the lingering presence of Rhydian's lips on hers as she walked home from the Vaughans'. Jana had called and said it was okay for her to go home. She'd been tight-lipped when Maddy had asked how it had gone. It made Maddy feel a pang of dread, so she'd cut her way through the woods on her way back. She thought it would put her in a better mood.

All of that changed, though, when suddenly Maddy heard a rustling in the trees and two wolfbloods flew out from the bushes, aiming directly for her…

 **A/N - Hey wolfblood fans. It was fun writing a scene between Jana and the Smiths for once. They didn't get much of a chance to interact during the show. I promise in the next chapter we'll find out who our two mystery wolfbloods are. You're more than welcome to comment, review, jot down a thought or two and let everyone know what you thought! Thank you :)**


	6. Chapter 6 - Maddy's Near-Death

**Chapter 6 - Maddy's Near-Death**

The two wolves lunging for her through the bushes gave scant time to react, but Maddy thought quickly on her feet. She leapt and started scrambling up the tree beside her. She was almost heaving herself up into the middle branches when she felt a wolf's fangs glance against her shoe. The girl swung, using her own momentum as she came back around and booted one of the growling wolves in the snout. Suddenly she was clear of the danger, panting in the shelter of the birch tree as she watched the two wolves snarling, their eyes murderous as they circled the tree.

Gradually, they quieted down, changing into human form. One was male, the other female. Maddy immediately recognized one of them as the follower who had tried to help Alric capture and kill Rhydian.

"Why don't you leave us alone?" she shouted down. She didn't care who they were. Maddy just wanted them to go. The female was fierce-looking, with dark hair and a jaded look about her. The male was bearded and wild-eyed.

"Oooh, what's this, Aran? You said the girl had spirit. She seems like a run-of-the-mill tame to me. You're sure this is the same she-wolf who went to toe to toe with our alpha?"

"Shut up, Meinir. It's true, she's the one. She stood up to him."

"What do you want?" Maddy shouted down. The female, the one named Meinir, threw Maddy a look of contempt.

"What did you think, little runt? That you'd shame our alpha and there'd be no consequences? Our pack's in shambles because of YOU. Because you turned Jana against us, all to help your precious Rhydian. I'm here to make sure you pay for it."

Maddy felt a spike of fear in her chest, but part of her almost wanted to laugh.

"Are ya serious? You know why you're really hunting me, don't you?"

Aran growled at her, but Maddy kept on. "You just want someone to blame. Your pack's in tatters because your leader failed you. _Alric_ failed the both of you. He was the one who hunted Rhydian down to the human world and refused to leave it alone. _He_ was the one who almost exposed the wolfblood secret to humans by coming to my school. I haven't done anything to your alpha; he brought his fate down on himself."

Aran looked uncomfortable as the truth of Maddy's words slammed into him, but Meinir wouldn't be swayed so easily.

"Come down and fight, or I'll come up, little cub. The choice is yours," Meinir snarled.

Maddy snarled right back. "Come and get me."

Meinir was about to scrabble up the tree, but in that instant all Maddy could think was, _I have to end this once and for all, not just for me, but for Rhydian. He shouldn't have to be looking over his shoulder wondering if Alric or his followers are going to be coming for him. I need to send a message, tame or no, that I'm more than a match for them._ Maddy saw Meinir's shock as Maddy leapt from the tree and fluidly switched to her wolf in mid-air. The chocolate-furred wolf slammed into Meinir's chest so hard it knocked the wind out of her. As Meinir shifted, Maddy struck. Her fangs bit deep into the wolfblood's exposed ankle. The tang of blood filled Maddy's mouth as she felt Meinir jerk and growl through the pain.

Aran had shifted back by now, though, and he came for Maddy at top speed. He lunged at her from behind, but she was too quick for him. She leapt clear, turning to face down both wild wolfbloods at once. It might have looked like a suicide mission from the casual observer, but Maddy had everything to fight for, and all she could think was, _Rhydian, I won't let them be hurting you again. Not EVER._ She thought of Rhydian, thrown from foster home to foster home to a wild wolfblood pack that never was and never really _could_ _be_ his. He was basically an orphan. Yes, he had a mum and a dad, but they'd missed out on the decade of his life when he'd needed them most, when he'd had to grow up from a cub to a proper wolfblood, not even knowing what he was, whether he was some kind of _monster_. They'd failed him, but she wouldn't. Maddy _wouldn't_.

Aran and Meinir launched their two-pronged attack. As pack-mates, their movements were too well coordinated for Maddy to repel. She batted at Aran's face, her claws raking across his snout as he shrieked in pain. But Meinir used that split second to flank Maddy. Her jaws tore hard into Maddy's shoulder as sparks of agony surged up the girl's neck and down the attached limb all the way to her tingling paw. If she'd been in human form, tears would've sprang to Maddy's face as Meinir jerked hard, wrenching Maddy's punctured shoulder.

Then she felt Aran's jaws on her wrist, fangs slicing into the soft skin as he chomped firmly and began to pull in the opposite direction. Maddy yelped in pain and fear, and that was when two new wolves charged into the fray. They were almost snow-white, with blue eyes, and though they were much smaller than the two wolves attacking her, they made up for it with their ferocity. The two white wolves went to work on Meinir first. Coordinating their attack, the two whites tore into Meinir's side. The slightly larger white sank his fangs into her right ear and neck as Meinir whined a shrill, wolfy equivalent to a human shriek.

Aran quickly withdrew from Maddy, running off the nearest white from Meinir's wounded form. The two followers of Alric and the two strange white wolves faced off now, lips curled back over wickedly sharp teeth. A constant stream of snarls and growls passed for conversation.

Maddy was the first to change back. Clutching her injured wrist as she ignored the dull throbbing in her shoulder, she sat up.

"Stop! Please, just _stop_." Maddy staggered to her feet, gritting her teeth through the pain. The sight of the slender girl standing among the wolves, managing to look unafraid as she glared at the four lethal predators around her, made them all freeze and regard her with a new trace of respect.

"I just want to end this," Maddy shouted. "I know you think your pack honor demands this, but this isn't about pack honor. This isn't even really about your alpha. This is about you staying in your world, and us staying in ours. Rhydian's lived the last ten years in the human world. For better or worse, he's a tame—just like me. Now if you can't accept that, then where does that leave us? Do you really want us to be enemies fighting to the death? Even if you kill me, Meinir, what does it get you? A fleeting prick of satisfaction that you've, what, avenged Alric's poor judgment by killing the wolfblood girl who stood up to him? And what then? When my parents and Rhydian, Jana, come to avenge me on YOU, or when the humans investigate my murder and it all leads back to your pack, a pack you claim is all in shambles…what then? Are you doing this for your alpha and for your pack, or are you just attacking a girl in the woods out of spite? I don't see the honor in that. Do _you_?"

As all four wolves morphed back, Meinir grimaced in Maddy's direction, but there was a grudging respect in her eyes. The admission of the truth.

Maddy glanced at the two white wolves who had arrived just in time. It was a boy and a girl just around Maddy's age. Their delicate features in human form almost reminded Maddy of elves. Both of them had long, silky blonde hair. The only way she could tell the girl apart from the boy was the slightly softer contours of the girl's face.

"Hi. I'm Kade and this is my sister, Ayla. We're…friends of Jana's, from her old pack." The boy's eyes slid to Meinir, darkening as they did. "Those two weren't the only ones watching you. When the rumors reached us about how a tame she-wolf had faced down our alpha, we had to see you for ourselves. At first it was just curiosity that made us come…but when we realized that Meinir and Aran were shadowing you, we decided to stay nearby and see what they were up to."

Maddy nodded at them. "Thank you for helping me."

Meinir snarled. "You two should be back with the pack, not courting disaster near humans."

"You mean like _you're_ doing?" Kade's sister snarled right back. Kade and Ayla collectively glared.

"You're too young to be questioning your elders and betters," Aran growled.

"There might be something true to that, except respect has to be _earned_ , not just demanded. Besides, the pack needs you two more right now than ever, with Alric being gone. Or have you forgotten about all of us in the middle of your vendetta?" Kade said. He gestured towards Maddy. "She's right, and I'll go a step further than what she said. You _dishonor_ the pack, ambushing a girl on her way home, wolfblood or no."

Now Maddy mustered up the courage to walk up to Meinir. She stared at her, wolfblood to wolfblood. "I didn't have any desire to dishonor your pack when I stood up to Alric. I _never_ meant to hurt your pack. I was just trying to protect the boy I loved. Will you please leave him, leave _us_ , in peace? That's all I ask. Have you ever loved someone so much that you would do anything to protect them? Because that's what I feel for Rhydian." Tears filled Maddy's eyes as she thought of what she would do if the wild pack ever came back to hurt Rhydian, but her expression stayed fierce, as if she were daring Meinir to strike her.

Meinir's disapproving, hard-edged gaze softened just the slightest bit. She turned to Aran. "Come on. Let's go. The little runt's not worth it anyway."

As Aran and Meinir disappeared into the trees, the two siblings came up to Maddy. Ayla looked critically at Maddy's wrist.

"My mum's one of the healers in our pack, and though I don't know everything she knows, I can tend to your hurts well enough, if you'll trust me." Maddy looked gratefully at the two wolfbloods.

"Yes, but can you be quick? My parents are expecting me home soon."

 **TWO HOURS LATER…**

Maddy stifled a groan as she trudged up the drive to her front door. She was stiff all over, but the two siblings had done what they could. They'd bandaged up her wrist, plus they'd put a soothing ointment on her shoulder wound which had brought down the swelling and would keep it from getting infected. With her shirt on, and the long sleeves of her jacket to cover her, no one could even tell she'd been hurt—which of course was what Maddy was counting on, because the LAST thing she needed was more questions from her parents when she was secretly dating Rhydian and trying to get her parents to let Rhydian come back and live with them! Sometimes it seemed that life never stopped throwing punches her way…

When the short brunette opened the door, her parents were standing expectantly near the entry.

"Hello, pet. You're late," Emma said.

"Sorry, mum. I took a shortcut through the forest. The wolf was feeling restless."

"I'd feel restless too, if I had declared my feelings for a boy and he returned them right back." Maddy's heart stopped. "Jana came by earlier. She mentioned you and Rhydian are now dating. Is this true?"

 _Jana! I can't believe she TOLD them._ If Jana had told Maddy that revealing her new relationship with Rhydian was part of her _plan_ , Maddy would've wrung her neck. Now she desperately wanted to as a bright red blush crept up her face.

She had been looking at her feet, but now the pretty wolfblood girl snuck a glance up at her mum. Instead of the disapproval she'd dreaded seeing there, Maddy saw a trace of empathy and humor, and yes, parental concern that still made Maddy nervous—but it could have been so much worse.

"Come inside and sit down, cub. We need to talk."

"I'm not a cu—." Maddy decided not to finish the retort. She nodded glumly and shuffled into the house. Dan motioned for her to sit on the couch. As soon as she did, both parents eased onto the cushions on either side of her. Maddy felt surrounded.

Uh-oh. This _couldn't_ be good…

 **A/N - Hey wolfbloods friends,**

 **First off, I'm sorry about the cliffhanger in the previous chapter. (That was mean of me, wasn't it?). I've had a lot going on, preparing to fly up to Chicago for a trip, so I'm glad I could post one more chapter for you guys before I leave. I'll probably have The New Grudge finished up by next week, so I'm excited about that too :) :) The final confrontation and Maddy's parents' decision regarding Rhydian will be revealed. Please comment, give me a suggestion, or share some of your thoughts - even just a simple review would be amazing.**


	7. Chapter 7 - The Final Decision

**Chapter 7 - The Final Decision**

 **A/N - Hey wolfblood fans, I was feeling extra inspired, so here is the** **ending** **to the story. An epilogue will follow, revealing the secret reason Jana decided to help Maddy. I hope you enjoy the Maddian in this chapter too. Thank you and happy reading :)**

 _Maddy's POV:_

"Come inside and sit down, cub. We need to talk."

"I'm not a cu—." I decided not to finish the retort. It would only encourage my parents to be even less reasonable. My shoulder ached from Meinir's attack, and part of me just wanted to go upstairs and collapse in bed. As usual, my parents chose to strike at the worst possible time. So I just nodded glumly and trudged into the house. Dad motioned for me to sit on the couch. As soon as I did, my parents both eased onto the cushions on either side of me. I felt surrounded.

Uh-oh. This _couldn't_ be good…

"Now Maddy, I want you to know we love you very much, and we're doing this for your own good," Mam began. Anything that started with that preamble I _knew_ was going to end poorly. I sprang up from the couch and tried the one tactic I could. Stalling.

"Mum, Dad, can I at least change first? I feel grungy in my uniform. Please?"

Dad and Mam exchanged a look. "OK, pet, but make it quick."

I rushed up the stairs, threw off my uniform. I scanned myself in the mirror. The ointment was doing its job, and the bandage on my wrist was holding up nicely. By tomorrow morning, if I changed into my wolf, I'd look as good as my normal self. I nabbed a pair of sleep shorts and a long-sleeved sleep shirt to hide my wrist. No point giving my parents any more ammunition; they had _plenty_ already. I rushed back downstairs and made it a point to sit across from them in the comfy armchair.

Mam and Dad scooted together, posing a united front.

"Madeline, we need to talk to you about Rhydian. As your mum mentioned earlier, Jana stopped by after school. She told us some troubling things," Dad said. My parents leaned forward with concern in their eyes, as if that could erase the invisible gulf between us.

"Maddy, look at me." I forced myself to meet Dad's gaze. "I know we didn't handle this as well as we could have. We shouldn't have sprung this on you so suddenly, and we should have been honest with you about sending Rhydian back to live with the Vaughans. We were concerned about you and Rhydian getting too close. He's a good kid, Maddy, but he's had a rough past, and your mum…well…". As Dad struggled for the words, Mum elbowed him sharply. "We," he corrected, "wanted you to focus on your schoolwork and keeping up your friendships with Tom and Shan, and all the good things in your life, living normal, being human."

Dad leaned forward as he and Mum clasped hands. "We know that the combination of two young wolfbloods and young love can be dangerous. We didn't want you neglecting other parts of your life because of your feelings for Rhydian."

"Really? Because from where I sit, it seems like it's a little more than that," I said.

My parents frowned. "What do you mean, pet?"

"You've always disliked Rhydian," I said, directing a pointed look at Mam. "Ever since he and I went out to save Shan from the wild wolfblood that one night, you blamed _him_ for taking me, even though it was _my_ decision to go out that night every bit as much as his. And don't tell me you're not both thinking the other thing."

"What other thing?" my dad said indignantly. Now I gave him a good glare too. With a grimace, I added, "You're worried that Rhydian and I will take things too far, aren't ya? That he'll get me pregnant." It felt all kinds of awkward to say it, but it needed to be said. Dad looked away as if he wanted to disappear into a magical hole in the floor. Mam kept a steady stare at me, refusing to back down.

"Maddy, we don't dislike Rhydian. We're actually fond of him and we want to see him turn his life around more than anyone."

"He already has," I protested, surprised how much vehemence clung to my voice. I was already out of my chair, hands gesturing with a passion I couldn't deny. "Why won't you see that he's a good influence on me? Oh, and by the way, I can't just turn _off_ what I feel for him. You lied to me. You sent Rhydian away without even consulting me, without even _caring_ how it might hurt me too. Did ya think of _that_? The only other wolfblood I have around me, to confide in, and you tell me 'All right Maddy, you can get close to him, but not too close.' That's the message you're sending, isn't it? And you're doing this in a world where I have to lie to my best friends every day about what I am. Having Rhydian live with us made me feel not alone. Finally I had someone my age who I could talk to about everything, what it's like being a wolfblood."

I swiped at the stubborn tears streaking down my face. "So don't go telling me _'we're just doing what's best for you_ ,' because you're not. You're doing what's _EASIEST_ for _YOU_. You'd find it easiest to just lock me away in a cage and never have another wolfblood boy look at me, wouldn't ya? You want to know the truth? What you pulled, kicking Rhydian out without so much as a word to us, it's unforgivable." I stormed upstairs, ignoring my parents' protests as I slammed my bedroom door with a satisfying crash.

I hadn't meant to get so worked up, but the adrenaline from Aran and Meinir's attack still had my mind out of sorts. I hadn't meant to speak so harshly to my parents, but it was done. I sighed and collapsed on the other side of the door, hugging my knees to my chest—barring the door with my body.

There was a soft tap.

"Go away."

"Maddy," Mam said gently. "Please open the door." I was wearing one of those soft cotton sleep shirts with buttons down the front. I fidgeted with the buttons, sniffling a bit as I wiped at my tears with my other hand.

"I said go away."

Distantly, I heard the doorbell ring. Then Mam's voice on the other side of the door held a hint of amusement, of all things. What was going _on_?

"Rhydian's here."

Wait. But how did she know that, unless she already knew he'd be coming over?

I stood up shakily and opened the door. Mam affectionately smoothed a strand of hair out of my eyes. I was too old to let her do such things in public, but here in the house I didn't mind it. It felt kind of good.

"Will you come downstairs, pet? We don't want to keep Rhydian waiting."

"But—" My mouth opened and closed several times, but words just wouldn't come. What did it all mean? I suddenly reached up to touch my face. My eyes were probably all puffy from me crying. I was wearing my bloody pajamas. I couldn't go downstairs like this…

"Come along, pet." Mam tugged me by my injured wrist. I bit my tongue to keep from crying out. When we reached the bottom of the stairs, my jaw dropped. Rhydian was dressed in a full suit and buttoned-down shirt and slacks. He looked flawless. I would almost have used the word 'beautiful,' but handsome would do.

"Rhydian."

The blue-eyed wolfblood boy smiled, and his eyes sparkled at me like dazzling ice on a sunny day.

"If there's one thing you've taught me, Mads, it's that certain things are worth fighting for." He came up to me, took my hand, and kissed me gently on the forehead. "Come. Sit. Your parents and I had a talk after you left my house. I decided to call them because, well, I wanted them to know about us, about the depth of my feelings for you. I wanted them to know that being a major part of your life is all that mattered to me, that I'd do whatever it took to make that happen."

I stared dumbfounded at Mam and Dad. "Wait, but…you two were going on and on about 'doing what's best for me.'

Mam and Dad exchanged a wry look and then both stared at me, a mixture of perturbed and amused. "You didn't let us finish, Madeline," my Dad said. I let Rhydian guide me to the sofa. He sat and put an arm around me as I stared in wonder at these two people who were supposedly my parents, starting to wonder who had kidnapped them and replaced them with doppelgangers.

Mam sat in the comfy armchair and Dad eased into the less comfy one. "Maddy, after speaking to Jana and then to Rhydian, well, your Dad and I talked things over." Rhydian's fingers curled against my sleeve as he gently rubbed my arm. The awareness of him so close kept my heart beating fast as I tried to focus on what Mam was saying.

"Rhydian had a talk with his foster mum. Mrs. Vaughan has agreed to let Rhydian come back to live with us at the end of the term, if that's still Rhydian's preference. We've agreed, too, but on one condition."

"Name it," I said breathlessly. I blushed a little when Rhydian smiled at my quick reaction.

"With you two dating and living under the same roof, your father and I have some concerns," Mam added pointedly. "So we'll have a list of house rules we expect both of you to follow. Chief among those rules, there will be no hanging out in each other's rooms unless the door is _wide open_. Is that understood?"

I still couldn't believe this was happening. I slipped my hand in Rhydian's and felt my heart doing flips and happy somersaults nonstop. I bounced on the couch and nodded as enthusiastically as a 5-year-old who'd just been told she gets to go to the zoo.

"Anything, Mam, Dad. I agree."

"If your forms and your schoolwork start to suffer because Rhydian's living with us…" Mam continued, "that's also a deal-breaker." I nodded readily. "And the same goes if Rhydian's scores start to suffer because of you. Is that clear?"

"Yes, yes, and yes," I said resoundingly. I bounded over from the couch and threw my arms around Mam's neck with the tightest hug Stoneybridge had ever known. Mum laughed, and I felt a bittersweet tear slip from my eye as I realized the awful things I'd said to her. To both of them.

"I'm sorry I said what you'd done was unforgivable. I wasn't thinking what I was saying. I was being…" I didn't know how to finish, but Mam smiled and stroked my cheek like only a mum can get away with. "You were just being a hot-headed teenager, Maddy Smith. Now, go give your dad a hug, and then we'll leave you two alone for a bit."

As my parents were about to leave the room, Mum stopped and gave Rhydian a look. "You clean up nicely, Rhydian." She winked as she and dad left with cups of tea in hand.

Still shell-shocked, I sat back down on the couch as Rhydian gathered me against his side and kissed my hair, taking in my scent.

"What was _that_ about?" I asked. Rhydian's chest shook with suppressed laughter. "Your Mum said that if I wanted to live under her roof and woo her daughter, I'd better come over and make my case, and she told me that included looking my best." Rhydian looked down at himself with a grin. "So here I am." His grin slid into a frown. "If I'd known she was just testing me, playing with me…" he shrugged though, and that smug, slightly goofy grin returned. "Still, it was totally worth it if I get to live with my alpha again."

"Rhydian," I sighed happily and snuggled up against him. My hand slid down the silky-soft fabric of the shirt showing in the opening of the suit coat. Suddenly I had the urge to slip my fingers between the buttons, to feel Rhydian's warm skin beneath.

He must have read my mind, because he caught my fingers and slowly drew them back. "Let's save the displays of affection for a place just a little more private. I don't want your parents to change their minds." But I shook my head stubbornly and reached up, cupping his face as I brought him down for a passionate kiss. He tasted and smelled…well, words didn't do Rhydian justice. _My_ Rhydian. As our mouths worked together my arms slipped around him and I shifted until I was straddling his lap. I felt something graze my hip. I stiffened, and he stiffened too. He was blushing, and I imagined so was I.

"Emma, I think we're going to have to add a new rule to our list," my Dad's voice boomed suddenly from behind, and I leapt out of Rhydian's lap like a frightened squirrel.

"I can see that," Mam said primly. "No making out on the living room or family room furniture." As my parents burst out laughing with total amusement at my complete embarrassment, I turned towards Rhydian and pressed my face against his chest as if he could hide me from the two merciless parental wolfbloods.

But the truth was, a great weight had lifted from my chest. Jana had done it, or she'd at least had a hand in doing it. Rhydian would get to come back. Things were going to be okay— _more_ than okay. With a sheepish grin I turned back towards my parents, and in that instant I loved them so much for trusting me enough. For trusting Rhydian too.

 **The End**


	8. Epilogue - Tough Goodbyes

**Epilogue - Tough Goodbyes**

Maddy hadn't felt so furious since…well, since her parents had kicked Rhydian out of the house. Which was ironic, because right now that fury was directed squarely at Rhydian.

The wolfblood teen leapt a fallen log and kept running, her heart pounding as anger pounded right along with it. _He's a bloody idiot. He doesn't take care of himself. He doesn't care what I'm feeling. He's…_ There were many other names Maddy wanted to call Rhydian in her head, but she left it at that as she skidded to a stop. A thin waterfall hissed over the little cliff on her right. She was fifteen minutes' walk from school. Today was a Saturday, and no one was about. That's why, when Maddy heard a twig snap, she stiffened immediately.

"Who's there?"

"It's me," Jana called. The redhead was huffing as she staggered forward, her face nearly as red as her hair. "You're hard to keep up with, you know that?"

At any other time, Maddy would've smiled. For now she settled for a scowl. "What do you want?" As far as Maddy was concerned, Jana wasn't much better than Rhydian. She too belonged in the 'bloody idiots' category.

Jana came aside Maddy along the bank of the stream. She looked up at the waterfall, then back at Mads. "Look, I know you're angry. I understand why. But will you please listen?"

"Listen?" Maddy felt a surge of emotion. She turned to Jana and right then Jana saw the fear fueling all that anger.

"What's there to say, Jana? You and Rhydian are going to go traipsing into the woods because Alric's been spotted wandering aimlessly on the outskirts of Stoneybridge. You're going to try to reason with a wild wolfblood who tried to _kill_ my boyfriend and worst of all, Rhydian's naïve enough to think that it's safe enough for him to go with you. So no, Jana…there's nothing to _listen_ to. Rhydian's throwing himself into danger and he's ignored all my concerns. So just…" Maddy sighed. "Just go."

But the stubborn redhead couldn't be dissuaded that easily. She came up and hugged Maddy from behind. Maddy struggled, but it just made Jana hold onto her that much more tightly. Eventually the struggling became half-hearted—ceased altogether.

"Jana, stop." Yet Maddy's protest had lost any trace of conviction.

"Will you just listen to me, Mads?" Jana had never called Maddy by her slightly shortened nickname, but they'd grown closer since the night Jana had convinced Maddy to reveal her true feelings for Rhydian.

"Fine," Maddy surrendered. Slowly Jana released Maddy and together they sat on an oval-shaped rock which had a groove flat enough and long enough for two people. Jana turned to Maddy, her green eyes gingerly appraising.

"Look, I know you're not thrilled about Rhydian helping me reconcile with my dad. The truth is, I tried to talk him out of it. I knew you'd be upset, but Rhydian…he feels responsible. He feels like he helped send my dad over the edge, even if everything my dad's done can't be justified. He feels, I don't know, this obligation to help fix everything."

Maddy snorted. "After everything _Alric's_ done, I can't believe Rhydian feels that way."

Jana flinched. After all, this was her _dad_ they were talking about. Still, Maddy's comment wasn't out of line. Jana's own father had tried to use her as a tool of vengeance to get at Rhydian, so Jana felt that sense of betrayal. It was only through the hard process of overcoming that feeling of hurt that she was willing to try to help her dad, lost as he'd now become.

"I know, Maddy. I can't say you're wrong. All I can say…" Jana hesitated. She reached out her hand and took Maddy's with a gentle squeeze. "All I can say is that Rhydian's not trying to hurt you. He's doing this because he thinks it's the right thing to do."

Maddy sniffed and looked away. "And because what I say doesn't matter."

"No. That's not it at all," Jana cried. She tugged on Maddy's hand until the pretty brunette had no choice but to look at her. "You remember that night you came to my trailer, all upset. Your parents had just kicked Rhydian out of your house to go live with the Vaughans."

Maddy nodded quickly. "Of course I remember. It's only been just over a month, Jana."

"Well, you know I used to fancy Rhydian, right?"

Maddy nodded slowly, not seeing where this was headed…

"The reason I helped you recognize your true feelings for Rhydian wasn't just me being selfless. I felt so lost after losing my dad and my pack. I just wanted to belong somewhere, _anywhere_. I thought that if I helped you make your parents see Rhydian as part of their pack, no longer an outsider, then maybe…just maybe, down the road they would see _me_ as part of their pack too." Now Jana sniffed a little, remembering that terrible feeling the moment her father disowned her. She looked at Maddy. Maddy had forgotten her anger. She looked at Jana seriously and put an arm around Jana's shoulders as the two friends just shared the silence together.

"What are you trying to say?" Maddy said, suddenly sounding tired.

"Everyone deserves a chance to belong somewhere," Jana said. "Rhydian wants that…even for Alric. I want that, for my _dad_ …even if he has disappointed me and abandoned me." Jana wiped a stray tear before it could slide down her cheek. "This isn't about him not caring about your feelings, Mads. This is about Rhydian having a big heart. Maybe too big," Jana said with a sad smile as Maddy scowled again, "but you have to recognize—it's the truth. So please, don't hold it against him. Be the supportive girlfriend. It would mean the world to him. I know it would." Jana shrugged. "By this time tomorrow, Rhydian will be back, we'll have sorted out my dad, and we'll have one less wild wolfblood prowling around Stoneybridge."

Maddy stood up and kicked at a loose stone. It tumbled down the bank and vanished with a splash into the rushing waters. "I hope you're right, Jana." Maddy's face softened. "And thank you for…for helping me understand."

"Does this mean you're not furious with me and Rhydian anymore?"

Maddy's eyebrows arched. "I wouldn't go _that far_."

Suddenly the petite wolfblood girl sniffed the air, sensing the scent of another wolfblood. The wolfblood intruder hugged her from behind and picked her up as she squealed.

"Rhydian!"

The blonde boy twirled her around as Maddy's eyes flashed a lustrous yellow. "You were listening in, weren't ya?" she accused.

Rhydian nodded. "I was hoping Jana might disarm you so I could say goodbye before we go find Alric. Not that it matters much since I'm sure we'll be back before you know it," he lied. Rhydian looked seriously into Maddy's eyes as Jana drifted away to give them some privacy. Maddy looked at Rhydian fiercely. She _so_ wanted to stay mad at him. It was just so _hard_ to stay mad at the cute boy in front of her, looking so hopefully into her eyes, and with such love.

"Maddy," Rhydian said. He stroked the side of her face as she tried to glare at him. "You know that I wouldn't do this if I didn't feel compelled, if I didn't feel deep inside that _this_ was the right thing to do." Rhydian spoke more and more eloquently, the more Maddy glared at him. "I'm not doing this for Alric. I'm not even doing it because he deserves it. I'm doing this for me. For _us_. If Alric knows I don't hate him and that I view him as a fellow wolfblood, then the grudge between us can finally die. I don't want him languishing in the wilderness and nursing a new grudge against me or you or any of us."

Maddy started retreating, wanting to run away, but Rhydian advanced for every step she took. The short brunette found herself backed up against a tree. Rhydian's arms locked her in with his hands pressed against the tree trunk on either side.

"It would mean a lot to me if…if you could understand that and not be angry with me."

Maddy thought of all the risks she'd taken with Rhydian. About changing into her wolf for the first time on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. About sneaking to the lab when they tried to steal back their blood samples at the local hospital. About all of the misadventures they'd shared together. Danger was just part of what it meant to be a wolfblood. Now that she'd fallen in love with another wolfblood, she had to get used to that idea. She forced herself to. Maddy Smith took a deep breath. She felt a new surge of emotion. She lost herself in Rhydian's tender gaze.

"Okay," she said softly. Barely a whisper. Rhydian kissed her, a slow burn that suddenly caught fire. As his hands slipped down below her waist, she smiled against his mouth. Her hands cupped his face as his breath tickled her ear.

"Still mad at me?"

"Shut up and kiss me," she said. Two seconds later she obliterated Rhydian's smile with a savage kiss of her own as their wolves made up.

"Promise to come back to me in one piece," Maddy said, breathless, between one kiss and the next.

"I promise," said the blue-eyed wolfblood. And as he gathered her into his arms, to Maddy's surprise, she actually believed in him.

 **A/N - Hey wolfblood brothers and sisters. In writing this story I wanted to explore not only Jana and Maddy having more of a friendship, but also Maddy sorting out her feelings about Rhydian's decision to put himself in danger helping Alric (S2, E12).**

 **One thing that I always admired about Maddy during the show was how she had the bigger heart, at least in the end, and she always showed this optimism in trying to do the right thing. But in the case of Alric (and Jana), it was Rhydian who saw the need for compassion before Maddy. To me that's what makes Rhydian and Maddy this OTP - one of my favorite couples. Neither one is perfect, but they help shore up each other's weaknesses. They help each other see when one of them is blinded. For me that's a big part of what love is all about. All right, wolfblood fans. Until next time… you all are the best! Please comment, review, or just say hello and what you want me to write next :)**


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